New chip making process in the works for Intel

Much like AMD, Intel, which was once a powerhouse in the processor business, is fighting an uphill battle these days as the market has suddenly shifted to very tiny processors and mobile devices. Also like AMD, they look to gain a foothold in this lucrative market. On Monday, Intel revealed a new way of making chips for mobile devices which it hopes will help to strengthen its position in the very competitive mobile chip market.

Intel is banking on a process they call ‘TriGate’ transistors. This new method consists of three-dimensional transistor structures in its chips which it began work on in 2011. Not surprisingly, this new method will save space, run more efficient, and run faster. However, after over a year’s worth of effort, they have yet to introduce the actual chips into any devices. Further complicating matters is the opinion of industry experts as to whether this new method will be worth the effort at all.

Intel claims the new TriGate SoC (system on a chip) 22-nanometer chip will yield 22% to 65% faster processing compared to 32-nanometer versions. That all sounds well and good but experts challenged Intel and are wondering how so much investment in the technology could only yield ‘minor’ improvements. A former Intel employee added that while the advancements in power are meager, it’ll also come at a price since their methods are not very cost-effective. We should find out in the second half of next year how all of this pans out.

Born in Tennessee yet raised in Florida, Sean is an analyst now living back in Tennessee. His love for gadgets and electronics began in the early 90’s when he received a Sony Walkman for Christmas. At the time, he felt the cassette tape playing, Mega-Bass wielding, three-band equalizer piece of electronics was as good as it'll ever get. There was also the original Nintendo which consumed countless hours of his youth, followed by every follow-up version, a Sega Genesis, PlayStations, and Xboxes. He was a little late to the smartphone party however, not being exposed to one until running a jail-broken, 2nd Gen iPhone on T-Mobile’s network. His phone of choice now is the Galaxy Nexus. He spends most of his free time with his wife and two daughters.

phor11

Doesn’t this result in a further concentration of heat which then actually becomes a detriment to clock speeds similar to what we saw with Ivy Bridge?

Nich

so if apple is looking to intel to make their chips and these intel chips should be ready in the 2nd half of next year and we should expect a new iphone / ipad in 2nd half of next year , can we come to the conclusion that the new A7 chip will be a triGate soc that performs like 25% faster then their current chip ???